bassochist Posted April 23, 2012 Author Share Posted April 23, 2012 I don't think you can make a leap of faith that STI open slides that have been tri-topped are going to crack. The cuts on your slide look pretty aggressive. You have to put a lot of weight on the fact all these guns came from the same smith. then explain to me why there are a dozen of guns from the same smith with even more agressive texture and cutting also tri topped, wich are much older (about 10 years with more than 60k of rounds trough it) and those guns still last. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seth Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 As a metal fabricator, whenever something I built fails, I'm forced to examine not only the materials, but also the construction methods. If you tell me that I've built FIVE of something over a couple of years and they have all failed the same, I'm not blaming the material. I'm looking in the mirror. As for why the others haven't failed, you've hit one key point... they're different. Conceivably he's made a change that has created this stress riser. Don't think that luck doesn't play a huge part into it too... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mat Price Posted May 28, 2012 Share Posted May 28, 2012 (edited) add mine to the list only on the other side 173 pf, 9 lb spring, 115gr jhp hs-6 Edited May 28, 2012 by Mat Price Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EduardoM Posted May 29, 2012 Share Posted May 29, 2012 Not to be argumentative but it sounds like an gunsmith that was overly aggressive with the mill has created this problem. It sounds like he created a stress riser that is failing. Blaming STI for it is sort of similar to blaming Chevrolet for a blown up motor if you put nitrous on it. It seems like the the gunsmith has made a mistake not STI. Bingo !!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mat Price Posted May 29, 2012 Share Posted May 29, 2012 Not to be argumentative but it sounds like an gunsmith that was overly aggressive with the mill has created this problem. It sounds like he created a stress riser that is failing. Blaming STI for it is sort of similar to blaming Chevrolet for a blown up motor if you put nitrous on it. It seems like the the gunsmith has made a mistake not STI. Bingo !!!! yeah... mine broke 200 rounds after my slide cuts where done. I am thinking it was there before the cuts. We have seen 10 slides with NO cuts crack in the same place mine did down here. dont know. but there sure is alot of slides breaking these days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donnyglock Posted May 29, 2012 Share Posted May 29, 2012 Mat That sucks. How many rounds did you have through the gun. I built two open guns. One with a Caspian slide and one with an STI. Both lightened to 10 oz. I hope they last. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mat Price Posted May 29, 2012 Share Posted May 29, 2012 I have around 40k throught it in about a year. I think sti is going to stand by their product Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aircooled6racer Posted May 30, 2012 Share Posted May 30, 2012 Hello: Was the comp hitting the slide by chance? Take a look at the and of the slide and comp. Thanks, Eric Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mat Price Posted May 30, 2012 Share Posted May 30, 2012 No it was relived end milled unde the comp Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mister Posted May 30, 2012 Share Posted May 30, 2012 Not beeing a gunsmith I believe, that the crack at the ejection port has nothing to do with slide lightening. I guess that this is a result of the 173PF and the 9lb recoil spring. Alex Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mat Price Posted May 31, 2012 Share Posted May 31, 2012 Not beeing a gunsmith I believe, that the crack at the ejection port has nothing to do with slide lightening. I guess that this is a result of the 173PF and the 9lb recoil spring. Alex STI didnt think so. I told them the pf spring weight ect and they still warrantied it. Great company to stand behind their product. Lots of people run upwards of 175 pf and 8 lb springs. better pics after striping the slide Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hunt_fish Posted June 18, 2012 Share Posted June 18, 2012 A friend of mine had his factory STI slide crack in the same place. When we asked him about it, he said he put 20k rounds through leading up to the World Shoot, and often would shoot 100rnds at a time wihtout letting it cool down. He reckons that he may have re-tempered the metal by letting it get too hot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coach Posted June 18, 2012 Share Posted June 18, 2012 My gunsmith told me that the only way to not crack a slide is keep the gun in the safe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sin-ster Posted June 20, 2012 Share Posted June 20, 2012 My gunsmith told me that the only way to not crack a slide is keep the gun in the safe. Truth there, LOL. There are however certain concerns when it happens at low round counts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mat Price Posted June 20, 2012 Share Posted June 20, 2012 I can't complain to much I put 45-50k rounds through it and often run it hot during practice. New skill learned this month how to fit a new slide. And refit a bbl. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mat Price Posted June 20, 2012 Share Posted June 20, 2012 I can't complain to much I put 45-50k rounds through it and often run it hot during practice. New skill learned this month how to fit a new slide. And refit a bbl. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
a matt Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 You can say that again. Lol Smart move learning to do it yourself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassochist Posted July 8, 2012 Author Share Posted July 8, 2012 (edited) Not beeing a gunsmith I believe, that the crack at the ejection port has nothing to do with slide lightening. I guess that this is a result of the 173PF and the 9lb recoil spring. Alex STI didnt think so. I told them the pf spring weight ect and they still warrantied it. Great company to stand behind their product. Lots of people run upwards of 175 pf and 8 lb springs. better pics after striping the slide all the other slides of my fellow shooters cracked in the same place, and last month when i was at my gunsmith's store, there was a guy wich had a factory matchmaster with a cracked slide on the same place. at this moment most of the slides are warrantied, others are still waiting but they gonna be warrantied too, but the shipping and the paperwork takes a lot of time. Edited July 8, 2012 by bassochist Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mat Price Posted October 31, 2013 Share Posted October 31, 2013 (edited) wow now my .38 super slide cracked after about 20K rounds... another cracked sti slide this one cracked at the raer insted of the front like my 9 major gun Edited October 31, 2013 by Mat Price Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whoops! Posted October 31, 2013 Share Posted October 31, 2013 (edited) The tri topping all the way back definitely weakened the point at which it cracked. It's also quite possible the smith is doing the cuts too quickly and without a proper cooling agent which will heat temper the slide inappropriately. I've heard a lot of reports of recent cracked STI slides and seen examples myself. I'm staying away from STI slides from now on. I don't buy firing it too quickly causing the slide to be heat tempered. I'm going to stay with the theories I mentioned here. The slides on my open guns never heat up past the point where I can touch them, even after I run 300 rounds through them in less than a half hour. Edited October 31, 2013 by Whoops! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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